Sherrod Brown: United Citizens vs Citizens United

United Citizens vs Citizens United

by sherrodbrown

Six years ago, when I first ran for the Senate, I focused on issues that would help Ohio’s middle class. I took principled stands because I thought that what I had to say would be good for Ohio, and good for America. I’m proud that our message appealed to Ohio's voters. And I’m proud that I was the voice of millions of Ohioans in Washington for the last six years.

But Washington special interests don't like me. I know you've seen the headlines about million-dollar ad buys from Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS or the Chamber of Commerce. These are secretly funded outside special interest groups, with no requirement to tell us where they are getting their money. They've spent nearly 30 million dollars against me, all to prop up a candidate who doesn't do his job, and won't fight for the middle class.

These people are outsiders—they know nothing about Ohio, and they care only about electing right-wing Senators who will do their bidding in Washington.

These groups—Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS, NFIB, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Club for Growth among others—have spent nearly $30 million against me so far. And they’re not done yet. There are only two weeks left until election day, but just this week these groups spent $3 million in one 24-hour period. There's no telling how much money will be against me tomorrow, or Friday. By election day we could be seeing as much as $35 or even $40 million in spending against me.

Who are these big spenders? It’s probably the oil industry (I’ve opposed their taxpayer-funded handouts), or companies that ship jobs to China (I supported a bipartisan jobs bill to punish China for cheating on trade laws), or it could be the Wall Street megabanks (I voted to crack down on those who caused the financial crisis).The truth is, I just don’t know for sure. But you know, and I know, that's the kind of politics I’m fighting against—that I’ll continue to fight against.

I want to see Ohio’s leaders in Washington elected by the people of Ohio – by you – and not by someone on Wall Street who thinks that because he can outspend us he can buy our elections.

What I’m doing with this campaign – what we’re doing with this campaign – is showing that a grassroots organization can beat a massively funded special interest campaign.

In two weeks the people over at Crossroad’s GPS and the Club For Growth are going to find out whether it’s possible to buy a Senate seat. And we’re going to teach them it’s not. We’re going to teach them that it’s possible for a grassroots network of hundreds of thousands of Ohioans spending a dollar here and a dollar there to beat $30 million in ad buys.

So I ask you today to spend just one Saturday volunteering, or spend just one hour after work volunteering to make phone calls on behalf of this campaign. Spend just one afternoon talking to your neighbors about why they should vote. Ask them where they’ll stand on November 6. And ask your neighbor if they’re willing to let their vote be bought by special interests -- or if they’re going to stand up with you and choose the direction we take this state ... and this country.